Town Casts First Votes; Libertarian Wins

DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H. — Libertarian candidate Andre Marrou, overlooked during the campaign, polled 11 votes as this hamlet cast its 31 votes, the first in New Hampshire’s presidential primary.

Among the Republican candidates, President Bush beat challenger Pat Buchanan, 9 to 3, and consumer advocate Ralph Nader received three write-in votes.

Among the Democrats, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton had 3 votes and former Massachusetts Sen. Paul E. Tsongas got 2 votes. None of the other Democrats got any votes.

As they have since 1964, the 31 voters here began casting their ballots at 12:01 a.m. EST. Polls closed five minutes later. The town’s voter registration records show 18 Republicans, four Democrats and nine independents.

Marrou, the only candidate to attend the voting, was elated.

Charles Carroll, a chef at the Balsams Grand Resort hotel, where the voting took place, said he voted for Marrou because he likes the Libertarian Party’s views on reducing the size of government.